The Rebbe's House

The Rebbe's House - 1304 President Street in the Crown Heights neighborhood is the private home of the Rebbe. In this house, the Rebbe and Rebbetzin lived until the passing of the Rebbetzin on 22 Shevat 5748 (1988).

Throughout the Years

In 5715 (1955), Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch purchased a house at 1304 President Street, about three blocks from 770, for the Rebbe and Rebbetzin to live in, after they had been living in an apartment building at the intersection of New York and President Streets, 346 New York Avenue, in apartment D-4 on the top floor.

Anash and the chassidim did not enter the house, which was closed to the chassidic community, except for those who were invited by the Rebbetzin for what was certainly considered a private visit. After the passing of the Rebbetzin on the night of 22 Shevat 5748 (1988), the Rebbe stayed in his home throughout the entire year of mourning, with prayers and dollar distribution taking place there. It was then that the house was opened for the first time to the chassidic community.

The First Floor

The entrance to the house is through a narrow room through which one enters a large living room that takes up a considerable area of the first floor of the house. That living room became in 5748 (1988) the place where the Rebbe prayed and delivered holy talks.

Throughout all the years, two curved guest sofas stood in the center of the living room, where the Rebbetzin would receive her guests. Besides the sofas, there was almost no additional furniture in the living room. At the right end, there was a display case containing various medals that the Rebbe had received in recognition.

The inner room is the dining room, where there is a spacious dining table with eight chairs around it. Most of the space was empty of furniture.

Next to the dining room is a small chamber with storage cabinets for chametz and Pesach utensils, another corner cabinet (in which spices were stored throughout the year, and in which the Rebbe locked the "visible chametz" that he sold on Pesach), a bathroom with a sink beside it, and an elevator.

The house has two staircases, the first from the central living room to the second floor, and the rear one parallel to the large dining room, with a door separating it from the dining room.

In the third part, the more inner part of the floor, was another dining table where the Rebbe and Rebbetzin would eat on weekdays, especially in the evening hours.

In the corner of the dining room, between it and the large dining room, stood a telephone stand with a charity box on it. When the Rebbe came to eat dinner, he first took the charity box, placed it on the table, and dropped a five-cent coin into it, and also gave a coin to the Rebbetzin to drop into the box.

On this stand was also placed the Rebbe's Chumash, at the end of which was bound a siddur ("Rostover Siddur"), in which the Rebbe blessed after the meal. On Friday nights after the meal, the Rebbe would sit in his place and recite "Shnayim Mikra Ve'echad Targum" from this Chumash.

In the opposite corner, in the middle of the opening between the large dining room and the small dining room, the Rebbe lit the Chanukah menorah.

Further, on the side of the inner dining room, stands the kitchen, almost four by four, amazing in its simplicity and age (for decades, the furniture was not replaced nor was it renovated). In the kitchen, there are marble countertops and cabinets on both sides of the kitchen. In the corner stands the refrigerator, old and simple, in the middle stood an oven, and not far from it a dairy table. Across from the refrigerator is the sink, where the Rebbe washed his hands for Shabbat meals.

On the kitchen porch stood an antique refrigerator, which was previously operated using ice blocks, and years later was used as a storage cabinet for various needs. During the year of mourning, the sons-in-law and their families would receive the siddur from the Rebbe for the Mincha prayer in this place.

In the kitchen, there is another entrance/exit to the backyard. The corridor leading outside also served as a private sukkah for the Rebbe and Rebbetzin from 5738 (1978) onwards (in the years before this, they would set up the sukkah on the porch of the third floor). Since 5742 (1982), the Rebbe and Rebbetzin moved to live on Shabbat and holidays in the library building adjacent to 770, but nevertheless, the Rebbe instructed the attendant R' Sholom Ber Gansburg to continue setting up the sukkah every year.

The back door leads from the kitchen to a sort of small porch, and from there a few steps to the backyard of the house, which was green and well-maintained.

On the night of the Rebbetzin's passing, R' Sholom Ber Gansburg cleared from the first floor all the personal belongings of the Rebbe and Rebbetzin that were regularly placed on the floor.

Second Floor

Between the first and second floors were two internal staircases, one from the large living room and the second near the dining room. During the year of mourning, the Rebbe always came down through the central staircase to the living room, where the congregation was already waiting for him.

Near the bedroom is the service and bathroom, and after it another toilet connected to the Rebbe's study. Both have a sink.

Further down the corridor, near the bathroom and service room, on the other side, is the Rebbe's study, which is also a large and spacious room. In the walls of the Rebbe's room, four "lamp houses" with candles are fixed in four places in the room. Two "houses" are fixed in the wall on the east side, and two more in the wall on the west side. After the Rebbetzin's passing, the Rebbe instructed the attendant to leave one of the lamps fixed in the wall on the west side constantly lit.

In this room, the Rebbe sat and studied, as well as engaged in his holy work. Many times, the Rebbe went to his home in the evening hours with a bag of letters, and when he returned the next morning, the Rebbe transferred his responses to the letters that he brought back with him from his home. The Rebbe stayed in his room with the door closed, and he was busy with his holy matters. During the night, the Rebbe would occasionally come out of his room to another room in the house, and when he would leave the door of the room open, it was a sign for the attendant that he had permission to enter inside if he needed something.

At the end of the corridor of the second floor is another living room and library. In the center of the living room is a wide sofa and next to it a special table that was built with artistic skill by R' Yaakov Lipsker, who also had the merit to build (in the same special style) the ark and additional furniture at 770. The walls are covered with libraries full of books that were available for the Rebbe's use.

In the Rebbetzin's later years, when she had difficulty going down the stairs, a dining table with chairs was brought to the living room, and the Rebbe and Rebbetzin ate their meals at this table.

During those years, there were many times when the Rebbe would remain in the living room after the meal and go through letters he received. On Shabbat nights, the Rebbe would sit and study Likkutei Torah in the living room.

In this living room was a picture of the Rebbe arranging kiddushin at the wedding of R' Berel Junik. Apparently, this is the only picture of the Rebbe that was in the house. In addition to this picture, there were only two pictures of the Rebbe Rayatz in the Rebbe's house, which were displayed in the bedroom.

Third Floor

The third floor of the house was vacant. Although it too was as wide and large as its predecessors, and there were guest rooms. Guests, of course, did not tend to stay overnight in the Rebbe and Rebbetzin's house, except for the Rebbetzin's uncle, Rabbi Ben Zion Schneerson, and the Rebbe's niece, Mrs. Dalya Routman, daughter of Rabbi Israel Aryeh Leib, who, when visiting New York, would stay there with great honor.

After 5725 (1965), with the passing of Rebbetzin Chana who also lived on President Street, two blocks away, furniture and items that were in her house were stored on this floor, and they are actually still there to this day.

In the early 5740s (1980s), after the attendant R' Sholom Ber Gansburg needed to assist the Rebbetzin more frequently, he established his residence on the third floor of the Rebbe's house.

The Elevator

The elevator is one of the only substantive changes made to the Rebbe and Rebbetzin's house since the house was purchased. It was installed after the Rebbetzin felt pain in her legs and had difficulty climbing the internal stairs inside the house.

Initially, a special chair was brought that "fits" on the staircase inside the house, and with it, the Rebbetzin could go up and down automatically. However, the chair was not to the Rebbe's liking, and therefore it was suggested to build an elevator in place of another elevator that was in the house, which could only be used to raise and lower objects.

Some of the house visitors thought that it would not be possible to build an elevator for people in such a narrow space in a way that those staying in it would feel comfortable, since the place is very small. The attendant R' Sholom Ber Gansburg thought that it was indeed possible to build the elevator. To prove this, he built a "sample elevator" from wood and placed it, then it was clearly noticeable that the place was indeed wide enough so that one could go up and down by means of the elevator comfortably.

When the Rebbe came home and saw the wooden "elevator" that had been built, he gave his consent to build a real elevator. R' Mendel Gansburg, who was among the attendants, brought workers, and together they built a new elevator.

Since then, the Rebbetzin indeed used to go up and down using this elevator.

The House Today

Close to 10 Shevat 5752 (1992), the Rebbe called the attendant R' Sholom Ber Gansburg and instructed him to sell the contents of the house on President Street by Yud Shevat. The money from the sale, the Rebbe said, should be transferred to benefit one of the institutions ("one of the institutions").

R' Sholom Ber Gansburg was very alarmed by the unusual instruction, and because he was entrusted with keeping the secret, he could not share the confidential secret with anyone.

He did not know whether the Rebbe intended to really sell all the contents of the house, or if there were items that he wanted to keep. And if indeed the Rebbe wanted to keep some of the items - where would they remain? And in general, how would the chassidim receive the news that the Rebbe wanted to sell his private home?!

At the first opportunity that arose, R' Sholom Ber Gansburg approached the Rebbe and said that there were many things about which he did not know how to act. The Rebbe replied that if there were personal items about which there was doubt, come and ask me. The Rebbe also added and said to R' Sholom Ber Gansburg that he could join another chassid, who was also one of those serving in holiness in the Rebbe's house.

The two made a list of items about which they were uncertain, whether they would also be sold, or would remain in the Rebbe's possession, and R' Sholom Ber Gansburg approached the Rebbe for the third time. He was very excited about the sensitive subject that he had to discuss with the Rebbe, but to his great surprise, even before he began to speak, the Rebbe opened and said in these words:

"I see that you are not happy with this. I am also not happy with it, and they are even coming to me with complaints about it. You know what? Let it remain as it is until the coming of Mashiach, as it is." And added, "And when the time comes and they will need to expand and beautify, they should not worry about the money and do everything that is needed."

R' Sholom Ber Gansburg did not understand what the Rebbe's last words might allude to. He stood confused, and the Rebbe turned to him again and said: "What are you worried about? Are you worried where you will be? In the place where I will be - there you will be."

Over the years, R' Sholom Ber Gansburg remained living in the Rebbe's house. In 5764 (2004), according to a court ruling, the management of the house was transferred to Agudas Chassidei Chabad and Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch. Until his passing, R' Sholom Ber Gansburg slept on the second floor of 770.

External Links

• Havi'ani HaMelech Chadarav (The King has Brought Me to His Chambers) - In Shevat 5770 (2010), Menachem Zigelboim published the first-ever review in Beit Moshiach weekly magazine about the Rebbe's private home: Havi'ani HaMelech Chadarav, Beit Moshiach issue 729, page 25. The First Floor - The exclusive review about the first floor of the Rebbe's house - includes interviews, documents, photos, and floor plans of the first floor specially prepared for this review. Lifnei V'lifnim B'Beit HaMelech (Inside the King's House), Beit Moshiach issue 730, page 26 - An in-depth and extensive review about the second and third floors of the Rebbe's house - includes interviews, documents, photos, and floor plans of the second and third floors, these plans were specially prepared for this review.
• The Rebbe burning chametz on his house porch - 5748 (1988)
• Snow covering the Rebbe's private home
• The Rebbe praying evening prayers in his home - Tenth of Tevet 5749 (1988)
• B'Beit HaMelech (In the King's House), 'B'Machaneh Tzivos Hashem' magazine Shevat 5777 (2017)
• The Personal Secretary Relates: Memories from the Rebbe and Rebbetzin's Home, memories by R' Shimshon Aharon Yunik, from Beit Moshiach weekly magazine eve of 22 Shevat 5781 (2021)
• Mincha Prayer at the Rebbe's Home - Postponed Ninth of Av, 5748 (1988)
• Dovber Hecht Presents: Documentation from the Rebbe and Rebbetzin's Home on President Street
• The telephone, the small kitchen, the furniture: Comprehensive gallery from the Rebbe and Rebbetzin's home
• Mendi Kurtz, From the Royal House, Kfar Chabad magazine supplement Sukkot 5783 (2022)